This invention relates to defibrillators.
Prior to administering treatment for cardiac arrest, the caregiver should make sure that the patient""s airway is clear and unobstructed, to assure passage of air into the lungs. To prevent obstruction of the airway by the patient""s tongue and epiglottis (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5), it is desirable that the patient be put in a position in which the neck is supported in an elevated position with the head tilted back and down. Positioning the patient in this manner is referred to in the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care as the xe2x80x9chead tilt-chin lift maneuver.xe2x80x9d The head tilt-chin lift position provides a relatively straight, open airway to the lungs through the mouth and trachea. However, it may be difficult to maintain the patient in this position during emergency treatment.
Resuscitation generally includes clearing the patient""s airway, assisting the patient""s breathing, performing chest compressions and defibrillation. Defibrillation can be performed using an automatic external defibrillator (AED). AEDs generally include a pair of electrodes connected to a resuscitation control box, which contains instrumentation for analyzing the patient""s condition and providing a shock to the patient if appropriate.
In one aspect, the invention features a defibrillator that includes a passive airway support device constructed to support a patient""s shoulders and neck in a position suitable for maintaining airway patency and administering rescue breathing and resuscitation. Because the passive support device is included as part of the defibrillator, the passive airway support device will be readily available to the caregiver when needed. It is hoped that the availability of the device will lead to a high rate of usage by caregivers, potentially resulting in better airway maintenance and an improvement in the quality of care that is provided.
In one implementation, the passive support device is a removable portion of the resuscitation control box, for example a cover for the box.